OSI Directors are expected to work actively and pro-actively as a member of the Board, OSI and open source community. It is understood Directors are volunteers, and each will be engaged in professional and personal responsibilities outside OSI. For different reasons, related to work, college/university, family, etc. there will be periods of time where a Director will be busy and/or can not commit to the demands of the Board or community, either as much as one would like or as much as is needed. However, this should be the exception, not the rule.

Responsiveness / Availability expectations

Directors should attend Board meetings regularly. Meetings are conducted by phone and are held for just 2 hours each month. If a Director will not be able to attend, they are expected to let the Board know in advance and report the state of your Board/OSI-related duties and actions beforehand. The Board also meets face-to-face, usually twice a year, and it is important to attend these meetings. If one cannot attend in person, the Director should still plan to attend via conference call.

Do not block tasks. Projects need to move forward. If a Director is not be able to accomplish a task by the deadline, they should keep the Board informed and/or ask for help.

Directors serving as officers on the Board (president, secretary or treasurer) are expected to do the duties associated with the role and be prepared to provide relevant information when needed, especially delivering a report at every meeting.

Directors should follow the discussions started on behalf of the Board of Directors on the OSI mailing lists to guide/moderate them and to avoid flame wars.

Directors are expected to also work with others in the community, to delegate and/or lead tasks and follow up on them.

Directors should answer Board/OSI official emails promptly.

Directors should voice opinion(s) in each discussion, and vote promptly when necessary.

Disclosures

Board members must not disclose any information discussed on a private mailing list unless there is a consensus that it will not cause problems or controversy for the OSI and that it can be disclosed.

Private mailing lists are private in order to allow people to express freely and to receive and share information which under different circumstances would not be given. The Board members must guarantee the privacy of issues discussed there.

The disclosure of private communications is not acceptable unless there is agreement from all people and institutions involved.